China’s sanctions on Japanese lawmaker Keiji Furuya over his visits to Taiwan are “truly regrettable,” and Beijing’s diplomatic reliance on intimidation and coercion is likely to backfire, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Ming-chi (陳明祺) said today.
Furuya, a conservative lawmaker and ally of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, was banned from entering China, Hong Kong and Macau from yesterday, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Beijing said it would also freeze Furuya’s assets in China.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Furuya made multiple trips to Taipei and is accused of “colluding with Taiwanese independence forces” and “interfering in China’s internal affairs,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning (毛寧) said in a statement yesterday.
He has continued to “collude and stir up trouble with Taiwan,” and his sanctioning should “serve as a warning to others,” Mao said.
Furuya said that the sanctions would have “no impact,” as he had not visited China in decades and had no assets there, while the Japanese government called the move “absolutely unacceptable” and called for a retraction, Reuters reported.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has also condemned China’s use of transnational repression as a diplomatic tool.
Furuya, 73, is chairman of the Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council.
He most recently visited Taiwan earlier this month to attend the Yushan Forum, meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) in Taipei and proposing a military band exchange between Japanese, Taiwanese and US forces.
Sino-Japanese relations have been tense since Takaichi in November last year said that Tokyo could intervene militarily in a Taiwan contingency, provided it constituted a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan.
Beijing previously imposed sanctions on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which it may have to walk back on ahead of an upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), Chen said.
That shows China’s sanctions and transnational repression are proving unsuccessful and only creating further problems for Beijing, he added.
Beijing’s method of conducting international affairs is “truly regrettable,” he said, adding that China is creating issues out of thin air.
The Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council has maintained close relations with Taiwan, and Furuya is a close friend and ally, Chen said.
Taiwan is not subordinate to China, and that is an internationally recognized fact, so Taiwan-Japan relations are nothing out of the ordinary, he said.
China’s reliance on sanctioning people only shows that it can no longer attract others diplomatically and instead has turned to intimidation and coercion, Chen said.
The move also reflects Taiwan’s increased international standing over the past few years, as China’s credibility continues to decline, he said.
Taiwan would continue to monitor the situation closely, Chen said, expressing his appreciation for Furuya’s continued support of Taiwan.
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